


to bring back my loved ones (and heal their wounds)

by overjoyedflowers



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: (but like he has a reason), All the beta because I want to have a more consistent plot than the dreamsmp plot, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Big Brother 5up (Video Blogging RPF), DreamSMP - Freeform, Found Family, Fox Hybrid Floris | Fundy, Gen, Ghostbur revival though, Good Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Loneliness, Plant Hybrid 5up (Video Blogging RPF), Post-L'manburg Destruction, That was a joke - Freeform, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), We need 5up on the dreamsmp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-15 23:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28946739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overjoyedflowers/pseuds/overjoyedflowers
Summary: 5up hesitantly makes his way to his younger brother’s room, fear sinking into him as the house creaked from the gusts of wind that bellowed outside. “Tubbo?  You there?”He knocked on the door.  Once.  Twice.  Standing there waiting for an answer, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright.  Something wasn’t right, Tubbo would have been up by now, eagerness sparking in his eyes as he rambled on about a new machine he learned about last night in the textbook.Pulling open the door, his eyes widened when he saw the room was completely empty.  Seemingly devoid of any life to begin with.  Then 5up realised how unusually quiet it was from the windmill house combo across from them, when usually even they would be up at this hour, bickering over some sort of contraption that failed.What happened?||OR: 5up gives himself the task to find his family and friends to bring them back home to Cogchamp.
Relationships: 5up & Floris | Fundy, 5up & Ranboo, 5up & Sam | Awesamdude, 5up & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Eret & Niki | Nihachu, Eret & Niki | Nihachu & Jack Manifold, Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 49
Kudos: 351





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> 5up for the DreamSMP

“Hey Tubbo?” 

“Yeah 5up?”

“It’ll always be us two together right? Brothers in arms, figuring out the world of machinery and the insane actions they can do, discovering that ideas which were once impossible are plausible if we put our minds to it. Us, against the other sibling duo on this server,” 5up stared up at the ceiling as he spoke, watching the newly built fan in their house spin round and round, the whirring becoming background noise to their conversation. 

Tubbo chuckled. “Of course 5up, we _have_ to win against Fundy and Ranboo and create the best invention out there, no matter how long it takes and how many trials and errors we go through. Besides, it’s fun spending time with you and learning this new world of mechanics,” a pause, and 5up hears his younger brother shuffle on the couch opposite from him, and out of the corner of his eye sees him stare right at him, “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, to be honest.”

A smile formed on 5up’s face as he turned to face his brother, who sported the same grin. He began to recall a time before this, only a few weeks back, when they had first stumbled across this badland; barren, desolate, a wasteland. The two brothers nearly continued their travels if it wasn’t for Tubbo spotting a worn out, torn journal wedged in between the bushes of the surrounding plains. Inside, the secrets of a civilisation lost to tragedy was revealed, secrets that coerced them into following in their footsteps - to finish what they had begun. Soon afterwards they were joined by another ragtag pair, a medium fox hybrid and a tall enderman hybrid, who were both just as eager as them. Their eagerness to work then transformed into the four of them creating a playful rivalry to see who could create the most insane invention in a year’s time.

Tubbo had been desperate to start right away, dragging 5up by the wrist to the dark and deep caves where shiny copper and iron awaited them. While gathering the resources, and often looking out for the other in case any monsters appeared, they discussed their potential invention ideas that would impress the other team. Mostly it was Tubbo who came up with the insane inventions and their purposes, and 5up would chime in every so often to remind the younger of the limits of creation. ‘No, we cannot make something that defies gravity’ he heard himself saying, tone serious but playful as Tubbo let out a disappointed sigh at the dream ideas he had just lost.

Soon afterwards, 5up would find himself being awoken in the early hours of the day, when the sun was barely rising over the mountains they were stationed beneath. The air outside would be cool, and the birds singsong would be sparse as his brother dragged him towards their latest project of that week. No matter how often he would outwardly complain about being forcefully hauled from his comfortable bed to participate in the inventions, inwardly he enjoyed every moment he spent with his family. Not to mention the other opportunities that arose with being an early bird, particularly the chance of getting a head start on the other duo who often slept in till midday. 

So it came as quite a shock when one day 5up was awakened by the crescendo of chirping outside from the birds that fluttered in the plains beside them, with sunlight filtering through the haphazardly closed curtains. Gaining consciousness, he grasps onto the back of the couch to pull himself up from his sleep. Looking around the partially lit up living room, he’s shocked to find that Tubbo is nowhere in sight. He leaps towards the curtains to draw them open, nearly blinded by the sun rising to the middle of the sky - it had to be around about 11 o’clock by now. This was unordinary for his younger brother to sleep in so late, but 5up had the slimmest of hope that maybe, just maybe, he was still in his room. 

5up hesitantly makes his way to his younger brother’s room, fear sinking into him as the house creaked from the gusts of wind that bellowed outside. “Tubbo? You there?”

He knocked on the door. Once. Twice. Standing there waiting for an answer, he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright. Something wasn’t right, Tubbo would have been up by now, eagerness sparking in his eyes as he rambled on about a new machine he learned about last night in the textbook.

Pulling open the door, his eyes widened when he saw the room was completely empty. Seemingly devoid of any life to begin with. Then 5up realised how unusually quiet it was from the windmill house combo across from them, when usually even they would be up at this hour, bickering over some sort of contraption that failed.

What happened? 

A chorus of questions and possible theories flood his thoughts, but 5up is rendered speechless as he runs around the house. Something like this was not possible, he was certain that Tubbo must have gone out on a secret supply run to surprise him instead. After all, he had the freewill to do whatever he pleased. However, Tubbo would have left some sort of note or letter explaining his temporary absence, he was always careful to inform 5up where he went - especially when dealing with such intense and dangerous machinery. 

He runs out the house and spots the tall, turning windmill in the distance, and sprints towards them. Hopefully this was all a huge misunderstanding, and Tubbo was still here and just hanging about with Ranboo and Fundy, considering they were all still close friends despite the joking rivalry. As he approaches the tower, though, he can’t help but notice the unusual quietness and emptiness of the place.

“Fundy?” 5up calls out, the gentle hum of the wind being his only response as he reaches the front door. He knocks frantically, glancing around him every so often in the desperate urge to catch a glimpse of any one of his friends. “Ranboo? Tubbo? Are you here?”

Unable to withstand the silence, he forces open the door and races towards the fan, recklessly floating up to the second floor where they would hopefully be. Maybe they just happened to be having some sort of discussion that they couldn’t hear him downstairs. When he lands on the smooth wooden floor, all hope he had before slowly drained out of him as he glanced around the empty room. Their beds were left unmade, and their tools lay upon their sets of chests. It was as if they had all just up and left.

5up raised his head in realisation, some form of hope being restored as he uttered the word ‘Sam.’ Surely, he thought while exiting the tower and running towards the peaceful cottage in the distance, the three of them have to be there - it was the only logical explanation at this point. However, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself of this unrealistically perfect scenario, dread wells in him that it was just not plausible, and once again he would be left in disappointment and despair as to where his friends had disappeared too.

When he reaches the cottage, he knows by looking inside the windows that framed the house that no one is home, and he sighs. The roots on the top of his head droop as he forces the door open, taking a look around the abandoned house. Not even Sam was here now, the one who was invested in machinery since the very start, the one eager to help all sides understand the blueprints Tubbo had uncovered and what artificial sorcery they could create by slapping some cogs together. 

He falls, exhausted, onto Sam’s chair. He attempts to catch his breath as he theorises on what happened to all of his friends. Something went wrong, he establishes, so wrong that the friends he had on this server have suddenly disappeared. He knew they would have no reason to up and leave, as none of them had shown any signs of discontent or uninterest, and they all promised to be honest with one another on their feelings. Whatever that wrong was, though, would be difficult to figure out - especially for a guy like him, who generally had no idea how servers worked and how people joined them. It was a miracle by chance that he spawned beside Tubbo on this server. However, despite his lack of knowledge on servers, he was determined to not be defeated by their mysterious ways.

5up picks himself up and walks outside, glancing up at the clear blue sky that framed the ethereal sun above him. As he stood there, gazing, he vowed to himself that he would find his family and bring them back home, no matter the cost.

He was never a man to give up on his promises, ever since a young age 5up had fulfilled every promise he made; whether that was to help his brother find wood, to fix a machine that had broken, or even to make it up to his friend who provided brass for his project. Whenever anyone was desperate for help or for a favour, he was always their first choice - and that made him happy. It was comforting to know that he had such a positive impact on his friends, and the possibility to gain whatever he wished out of it (he was always kind and lenient with this power, though, he didn’t want to turn away any potential customers). This was a streak that 5up was determined to keep, even now as he stood atop of the badlands mountain, gazing down at his past home. 

5 years. It had been 5 years since his life had been changed forever, but now he was certain that it would be back. After years of researching servers and their strange rules and powers, and endless months of experimenting with multiple creations that would help him connect to other worlds, he finally cracked the code when someone unexpectedly stumbled through his portal. The stranger was a cat hybrid, and 5up jumped back in shock at the sudden interruption. As he stared at the stranger, he tried to calm the excitement that grew in him as he realised the portal worked, and that he could travel to different servers now. After a day or two of introductions and explanation from his new friend, 5up decided that it was time for him to leave in search of the ones he lost years ago.

As he stood in front of the glowing portal, a mixture of emotions rushed through him. He was unsure how to feel at this very moment, on one hand he was one step closer to bringing back his family, but on the other he was terrified about what could be awaiting him on the other side. Taking deep breaths, he reminds himself that this was crucial that he fulfilled his promise. He glances down at the piece of paper he scribbled notes onto, and spends a while looking at one particular word: _DreamSMP_. Through rumours and telltales, his new friend had explained that they had heard of the four people being involved in this server and seemingly stuck there in some sort of 3-life system. He was unsure what that meant, but he could only assume it wasn’t a good thing with how criticised it was. 5up just hoped that no matter what the server contained, his friends were safe and sound.

“Good luck,” he could hear his friend say behind him, and the encouragement and kindness in their voice helped alleviate the stress 5up was beginning to feel. Allowing himself to build up some sort of confidence, he finally steps into the portal in search of this new server and, hopefully, his family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DreamSMP x Cogchamp crossover baby. I am genuinely very hyped to be writing this, I have quite a large chunk of it planned out already. The only issue I have now is adding in some other characters to the plot, and figuring out how to tie everything together - but that should be fine. Also just to mention this now, the Egg wont be canon in this. As much as I love the idea of the Egg and its potentials, I just had no idea how to incorporate it in with little knowledge to a plot already quite full. I hope you understand, and that you enjoy this story :)


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5up has found himself on the SMP, and stumbles across our first familiar friend (and a relative of said friend).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos' and Comments are much appreciated. I would love to interact with you, readers.

A sudden crash into the ground, silence and aching joints, followed by the slow, returning music of nature greets 5up after a momentary darkness.

Opening his eyes, he stares up at the bright blue sky with squinting eyes - the sun was shining in the afternoon now, he estimates it to be around 3pm. His muscles pulse with pain as he slowly moves his arm, and he attempts to counter the sharp spikes by breathing slowly in and out. As he shifts onto his side, his head begins to feel like someone had placed an anvil on top of it, and he closes his eyes to gain composure. Everything felt like it had been lit on fire, and he had been left with no water in sight to douse it out. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, and he hopes to Cog he would never have to experience again.

Using what little strength he had left in his vine wrapped around his leg, he pushes the stalk and its leaves onto the ground to lift himself up. After a few seconds of struggling, he manages to brave through the pain and use his hands until finally he is able to get into a standing position. Looking around, 5up is shocked to find that he stood in some sort of deformed and broken ground surrounded by cobblestone walls: Was this the DreamSMP spawn? Not wanting to stick around too long to find out, he carefully traverses the ground until he makes it to a hole in the wall, climbing out of it and landing directly onto the flat plains that surround the spawn. So far, 5up had to admit, the DreamSMP did not seem so bad, but he could not afford to drop his guard from what he was told.

As he walks through the forest in search of civilization, he begins to recall everything his friend - Crumb - had told him. The SMP had once been a beloved community for three close companions, but soon that shifted as more people were welcomed to (or, as Crumb had shakingly mentioned that sounded similar to his friends’ situations, been forcefully taken too) the server, attention shifted and tension arose. He was never told directly what happened, but a majority of the conflict centred around wars and some sort of desire for power over others, even at the expense of someone’s life (the 3-life system seemingly made this place even more deadly with the urgency to survive). Soon it was criticised by those outside the realm who heard of the atrocities taking place, and now that he was currently walking on these lands, he knew it was important to make himself appear as non-existent for the majority of his time. After all, finding his friends wouldn’t be that hard right?

Well apparently, if you have never been to a certain world before and have little to no prior knowledge on its surroundings, it can be a little tricky.

After a while of walking, he spotted a couple of trees in the distance. They looked to have been manually planted and taken care of, rather than nature’s own creation. Excitement wells in him as he speeds up, and when he turns towards the trees, he spots the netherite staircase pyramid in front of him. He finally found civilization. Pacing up the stairs, he ran straight past the nether portal (he wasn’t going to dabble in lava and potential death right now) and down the steps on the opposite side, until he came face to face with… a destroyed building?

Water drips from the broken pipe that hung limp from what was left of the front wall of the house. The roof seemed to have caved in and lay on top of broken chunks of the walls that once protected the occupants inside from the dangerous outside. Objects and furniture lay scattered and smashed over the visible floor, and he was certain he saw a rat scurry past the wreckage. Nature already seemed to have taken over, a spring bush covering the front entrance in a burst of green that contrasted the olden day red brick. 5up’s roots fall flat on his head as he walks towards the ruined home, searching for some sort of sign that would explain what it once was. 

As he carefully walks through the wreckage, a birch sign on a sturdy, still standing wall catches his attention. Trekking over books and crafting tables, and pushing aside a broken chair, when he reached the wall he let out a sigh at what he read on the sign: _Here lies the Community House, once a beloved home for those who wanted companionship, now destroyed by an anonymous culprit hellbent on hatred. Rebuild in progress._

‘This was the Community House?’ 5up thought, remembering when Crumb had mentioned that the SMP was once a tight knit community, with friends eager to help others with their difficulties and frequent events where everyone was invited. He even heard that this was one of the first buildings ever established on the server, so in honour was transformed into a home for everyone. Ignoring the growing grief in him, he left the building and landed onto the wooden path that seemed to lead to some shops and a church to the side.

However, as he walks down the path, he begins to realise how obvious he was making his presence - he was right out in the open, a plant man with no qualities similar to anyone else on the server, ready to be seen and called out by a member. Panicking, 5up darts behind the red and grey brick building and decides that he should take the more stealthy route while a part of this server. Sneaking behind the buildings around him (was that a UFO in the sky? Whose home is that?), he finally manages to make it to a large flat plains area underneath the main path of the server. Ahead of him is a tall wall, seemingly protecting whatever is inside by its sheer size and sturdiness. This world was so different to Cogchamp, he would never dream of building a wall around his property in fear of others, everyone got along so well that there was no need.

However, the wall soon becomes less of his concern when he hears a distant voice that is nearing his current position. 5up jumped behind one of the sparse trees on the land and waited, patiently, for the person to pass, planting his vine into the ground to seem more like a plant. The voice seems to be shouting violently about something, while rocks could be heard tumbling down the hill as they were kicked. Whoever they were seems pretty upset, he figures. When he peaks his head around the tree to take a look, though, he has to stifle his shocked gasp.

It was Fundy. He could recognise those perked up fox ears and bushy tail from a mile away, but what caught him off guard was his outfit. His friend is now wearing a black jacket with coloured stripes round the middle, and dark trousers that made him look like a walking void. 5up had never seen his best friend wear something like that, he always prized himself in his looks and would choose some aesthetic engineering outfit no matter what was ahead of him that day. He watches as Fundy trudges forward, looking towards the ground as he absentmindedly kicks the Earth and talks to himself. Though as he continues to stare, a slight guilt wells inside of him that he wasn’t fulfilling his own promise.

5up figures that if he was going to get his friends back, he had to start now.

Withdrawing his vine and stepping out from his hiding place, he musters as much strength in his whisper voice as he could before calling for his friend: “Fundy!”

In an instant Fundy looks up, and the hybrid glances around himself in confusion for a few seconds, before finally the moment comes when they lock eyes. 5up smiles at his friend and watches as a mixture of emotions flash on his face; first it was surprise and shock, then his eyes squint in disbelief, until finally his expression darkens as he walks closer.

“Who are you?” The tone Fundy uses is the complete opposite of the joking, teasing one he usually had when in Cogchamp, and 5up’s smile falters at the harshness of his words. He stops a few metres away, and stares at him. The seconds went by so slow, and 5up awkwardly stands there until finally Fundy shakes his head. “Who- Why do I recognise you so strongly? Where are you from?”

5up swallows down the lump that formed in his throat. “It’s me, 5up. From Cogchamp, you remember that right?”

Fundy’s eyebrow raises up, and he glances towards the ground in thought as he ponders over the familiar word. 5up stands patiently, awaiting his friend’s answer, while simultaneously looking around himself to ensure that nobody is watching him have this conversation.

“5up-,” Fundy whispers to himself, glancing back towards the plant hybrid, “5up from Cogchamp,” his voice becomes hushed as he continues muttering, and 5up holds onto some little slither of hope that maybe he would remember him. It may have been 5 years apart but they spent longer together, and would continue to spend longer together after he got them home. Maybe he just needs some sort of memory that would call him back, that was it.

“If,” 5up begins, waiting for his friend to turn towards him, “If it helps you remember anything, we built a bakery wheat farm together - and a windmill too. It was our main project for a while, before we had to split off to continue the competition again.”

Fundy’s eyes narrow, and confusion is evident in his tone as he asks: “What, a competition? We were against each other?”

5up panics. “Not necessarily, it was all friendly. We still hung out together, we just attempted to beat each other with our creations,” He watches as Fundy’s expression drops into one of relief, and he couldn’t help but wonder why his friend is so apprehensive over rivalries nowadays, and what struggles he must've faced in this server. 

“Huh…,” Fundy’s voice is quieter now, but 5up can hear the slight hesitancy in his tone, as if he was suspicious of what he had said. His hesitance was so obvious that the plant hybrid nearly questioned it, but he stops himself and realises that he should wait for his friend to feel comfortable to speak on his experiences. He had to be patient with all of them. “And you’re sure everyone was still… friends with everyone?”

5up nods his head. “Mhm, well I had a seat at your house and was always welcome, and you used to crash at mine when need be so I’d consider us all friends.”

Silence fell between them once more, and around them birds converse and trees dance in the breeze, until suddenly Fundy let out a gasp. 5up snaps his head towards his friend, fear rising in him that something had happened, but instead the fox hybrid was staring right at him with wide eyes. “Wait, did you ever hand me a rose?”

5up’s heart skips a beat as he hears those words, and he smiles. “Yes! Yes I did, it was after you gifted me some brass for my project, I had to thank you in some way.”

The next few moments go by fast, but 5up swears it felt like ages. First, Fundy takes in the information, before finally he looks up with the largest smile he has ever seen him possess on his face. He approaches the plant hybrid, and 5up stills his excited vine wrapped around his leg that reaches out for his friend. “5up… it really is you, huh? I- I’ve missed you man, fuck, I thought you were just some friend I made up back in L’manburg during the war. That’s what I had been told but- but you’re actually real.”

“I’m very much real, Fundy, I promise you that,” He could question what Fundy meant by a L’manburg later, right now he had finally reunited with one of his friends.

“I’m so-,” Fundy interrupts himself, and stares off to the side as shock falls onto his face. 5up stares, unable to speak as his friend backs away and his ears fall flat on his head in shame. He glances in Fundy’s direction, curious, but he couldn’t see anyone or anything around him that would cause this reaction. He was so, so close to being with his friend again, 5up thinks, why was he acting this way? His thoughts are silenced by Fundy speaking up. "I- 5up I'm so sorry I have to go, I can’t face him.”

“Fundy? Fundy wait-” 5up says, reaching out for him as the fox hybrid backs away shamefully.

“Please forgive me,” Fundy pleads, and his hand hesitates to reach out as his friend turns away, and leaves as quickly as he came into view. “I’m sorry I just can’t face him right now, I’ll meet you some other time just... not when he’s here. Goodbye.”

“But- Fundy-” 5up falls silent as Fundy sprints off towards the surrounding forest, and his hand falls back down to his side in disappointment. Thinking for a minute, he wonders who made his friend act this way, and he takes a look around himself again. That’s when his eyes land on the floating ghost that is approaching him.

The ghost is grey and dark, but the smile that is spread on his relaxed face contrasts his haunting looks. A faded yellow jumper frames his body, while blood seeps through an obvious open stab wound in his stomach. The ghost’s feet are non-existent as he gracefully floats over, eyes bright and curious. 5up hesitates, although the ghost seemed to have a friendly demeanour, there must be some sort of reason for Fundy’s reaction towards him.

“Hello,” the ghost’s voice echoes as he speaks, and the smile is still there that welcomes him like some form of warm, parental hug. “Who are you? Oh wait, is that rude to ask?”

5up shakes his head with a slight smile. “Not at all, I’m 5up.”

“5up?” the ghost chuckles a little, glancing towards a book in his hand and flicking through its pages. He wonders how the ghost can even interact with inanimate objects, but he decides it would be rude to ask that. After all, this once used to be a living, breathing and walking human being like he is now. “I haven’t heard that name before, nor are you down in my notebook, are you a new member?”

5up pauses, should he just lie and say that he is? Or would it be better to admit the truth and swear it to secrecy? He figures the latter might be more safe, considering how friendly the ghost appeared to be there was every possibility he would share around that he is the new member when, instead, he had snuck in using portals. “I’m from a different server, and I got here through... well let’s just say not invited means, but I promise you I mean no harm to this server.”

The ghost’s friendly expression breaks for a moment, before he smiles again, but 5up can tell it’s slightly forced. He didn’t want to mess up any potential friendships already, he had to have the other members on his good side if he was going to find his friends. “Well, I’m sure you are a very lovely fellow, even if you did come here uninvited,” an awkward silence, and 5up just wants the ground to swallow him whole like the half plant he is. “Anyway, I’m Ghostbur, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Ghostbur,” 5up responds, forcing a smile on his face to counter the embarrassment that crept up inside of him.

“I saw you were talking to my son there for a second,” Ghostbur recalls, and 5up's smile falls as he stares up at the ghost. Son? Who was he referring to as his son? Ghostbur seemed to pick up on his obvious bewilderment and continued. “Fundy, he’s my son, you were talking to him weren’t you?”

Okay, 5up figures, now he had a lot of questions to ask his friends about this server. Since when was his friend the son of some ghost? Silencing his racing thoughts, he answers the question asked to him. “Oh yeah yeah, I was.”

Ghostbur grins. “He wasn’t causing you any trouble, was he?”

The tone sounds pleasant but jokingly judging, as if he was a parent asking another child if their own child was causing any harm during a simple play date. He had missed human interaction, 5up would admit, but he had never experienced this type of interaction before. “No, not at all.”

Ghostbur nods, satisfied with the answer. “That’s good, my son’s always been a trickster since his youngest days. Even back when L’manburg had its walls he was a sneaky fox, pulling pranks on his family whenever he could. Oh,” Ghostbur turns to him, a shine in his eyes as he asks: “Do you know of L’manburg?” 5up shakes his head, and Ghostbur sighs. “Ah, that’s unfortunate. I wish I could show you the beautiful place but- it’s all gone now, destroyed by... some people. It was my country y’know, my unfinished symphony… forever unfinished I guess. The place always stood for independence and for freedom and for happiness, but somewhere along the line things went wrong and it all crumbled away-.”

5up listens as Ghostbur discusses L’manburg and its history shortened to a brief monologue, and could not help but wonder what happened during that time. The ghost began to drift away in some direction, and out of fear of leaving a conversation without a proper goodbye, 5up goes and walks beside him. He wonders, as the ghost spoke of a tale of someone who betrayed them in the most wicked way, and then the story of the country's formation in a singular hot dog van, how that happened on this server. Maybe that was the catalyst that started so many wars that he had heard from Crumb, 5up theorises, the turning point in the peacefulness to the dominance for power. 

“Oh 5up,” Ghostbur’s droning voice suddenly changes into excitement, and 5up glances up at him to see his hands balled towards his face, a huge smile building. “I have to go grab something back at L’manburg, but I may be able to show you some surviving pictures if I can find them. You wouldn’t mind tagging along, would you?”

5up considers the optional decline, but decides that if he is going to spend some time on the server, he had to know the directions and where everything was. So he nods his head instead. “Sure, take me there.”

“So,” Ghostbur says as they walk down the path, and 5up prays that no one else can currently see him. He’d rather not face everyone here on his first day, it would be too much for him. After all, he might run into someone who won't take nicely to his intrusive presence like the ghost had. “Enough about me and my country, tell me about yourself!”

“Myself?” 5up asks, curious about the ghost’s new interest in him. What interesting, intriguing thing did he have to say about himself? 5up likes to think that he is a simple guy with a pleasant and chill life, not near enough whatever pain and craziness Ghostbur had been through. 

“Yeah," Ghostbur says, excitedly. “I’d like to know what server you come from, it’s very unusual for someone to sneak in like you did.”

“Well,” 5up begins, his brain attempting to make his entire life sound cool as he continues. “I’m from a small server named Cogchamp, where we create things, usually multiple machinery parts, that help make everyday tasks easier or cooler. I used to live on that server with some friends, but then 5 years ago I lost them suddenly.

‘Oh no,’ 5up heard Ghostbur mutter, and he's grateful for his sympathy, but he continues on. 

“I have spent those years researching how servers worked and attempting to create some sort of portal that teleports me from server to server. It may have took me years, but finally I managed to do so, and I heard from word of mouth that my friends are here, on the DreamSMP. I’d just like to see them again, and see how they’re doing.”

5up feels guilty for lying about his true intentions for his visit, but pushes that aside as Ghostbur hums in response to his story. “I’m so sorry that happened 5up, I hope you find your friends soon, may I ask who they are?”

He nods. “Yeah, they're Tubbo, Fundy, Ranboo and Sam. We lived on that server for many years, and I’ve missed them. It was pleasant seeing one of them again, but the conversation was very short lived.”

Ghostbur falls silent for a second, before finally he forces a smile and floats away, passing through a cut out pathway through the hill ahead. 5up follows, keeping quiet as he wonders where he went wrong in his discussion. He could feel the vine on his leg tighten in restricted fear, but ignores it when Ghostbur speaks again. “Well we’re here at L’manburg now, it’s not much of a pretty sight like it was a few days ago, but at least the memory of its existence remains.”

5up glances up, and his jaw falls in shock at the gaping hole in the ground in front of him. It was absolutely shattered, debris of broken wood and snapped steel lay scattered among the crumbled earth, and he is certain he spotted a dusty, faded flag crushed under some rocks. This used to be a place, a place that once fought for liberty and freedom and won the fight for it, now reduced to a large hole in the ground. He had never seen such violent methods before, and he feared for what happened, what sort of nefarious act resulted in someone committing this level of extreme destruction to a country. This was some foreign concept that he was acutely unaware of, and he swallows down the lump that formed in his throat.

Maybe his journey on this server is going to be a lot more challenging than he previously thought it would. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw if anyone is curious as to how I characterised any of the characters in this story do ask away I am happy to respond to your comments :)  
> (Also in case you haven't read tags this is tagged as Canon Divergence - so the plot wont exactly follow the ending of season 2 the way it did canonically!)


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5up follows Ghostbur, and we meet another friend (honestly 5up should consider following the profiting industry of journals in this server)

“What happened?”

Ghostbur faces 5up from where he floats in place, tone indifferent as he speaks: “I already told you, didn’t I?”

5up nods, already aware that Ghostbur had explained that people had exploded L’manburg a while back and left it in this mess, but he wanted to know why. Why such a violent method had been used that it reduced the country to rubble. “I know you already said what, but why to this level?”

Ghostbur sighs in response, flying down the jagged rocks towards a visible, albeit narrow and dangerous, path that split the destruction into two. 5up follows, using his stem to grasp onto rocks for stability as he carefully descends into the pit, fear coursing through his veins as he did so. He didn’t want to take damage again, and his body still ached from his initial descent into the server. Ghostbur turns towards him after a minute of silence: “L’manburg was a country run by a Government, and I don’t really know much but apparently some people don’t like Governments. So they just blew it all up.”

5up, having finally made it safely onto the path, glances up at Ghostbur. He sees the hunched posture of the ghost, and the way his arms are wrapped around his body, and he feels pity. This explosion must have hit deep down for him, he figures, but he couldn’t help his growing curiosity. “Do… you know by who?”

Ghostbur gently turns away and takes in a deep breath to calm his growing nerves. “My dad, and his friend, and my greatest enemy, you know.. A dream team of sorts,” Ghostbur lets out a laugh, but 5up can tell it's a forced one that doesn’t reflect his true feelings. “I lost someone to that explosion, someone named Friend. They could have saved her, but I guess  _ he  _ chose not too.”

5up regrets ever asking Ghostbur about the explosion as he hears the hurt and anger in his voice, and tries not to imagine how he would feel in that situation. He wonders how he would cope if he lost his friend forever, with clear certainty that they were dead and not missing and possibly still out there. He steps forward and places a hand on Ghostbur’s shoulder, well attempted too as his hand phases through the upset man’s body, in comfort. “I’m so sorry Ghostbur, I didn’t know, I should not have asked.”

Ghostbur shakes his head and shuffles forward, 5up’s hand falling back down to his side as the ghost looks ahead and straightens his posture. “No it’s fine, it wasn’t your fault that this all happened. Anyway, we should head to mine and grab those items, let’s go.”

As much as 5up wanted to continue apologising for bringing up bad memories, he knew that it would not help his situation at all. Right now, he could only follow Ghostbur and help him retrieve his items in L’manburg, and then see where he goes from there. As he dances between the broken rocks and splintered wood, he glances at the items that stood out from the pile. A half broken podium juts out to the side, attached was a scratched and torn WANTED poster that framed someone with light pink hair who was sporting some form of red, royalty-esque cape. In the opposite direction, he sees a piece of broken railway track poke out from the dirt, and he wonders what purpose that served in the country. All of this was eerie as he walked along the path, and he can only imagine what L’manburg would have been like as a full running country in its leading days to demise.

“We’re here,” Ghostbur finally says, and 5up turns towards him again, expecting to see a small home that had been built. Instead, he sees boulders gathered around a broken bookshelf that had barely survived the explosion, half of the books were missing and the wood had been charred to coal black. 5up tightens his lips and glances at the ghost, and he frowns when he sees the defeated look on the other’s face.

“There’s still some things left,” 5up says, trying to be optimistic as he looks at the sparse books that seemed to have survived. Ghostbur hums quietly, floating forwards towards the bookshelf. 5up watches through the ghost (this was something he was not used to, a transparent ghost being his friend) as he carefully picks up one of the few surviving books and backs off, standing beside him. He glances down at the cover, and barely catches the word “Independance” before pale fingers open the book.

Ghostbur sniffs, his fingers running down the edges of the first page. “I can’t believe this decree survived, this out of all others.”

5up stares at the frayed pages as they’re turned, catching certain words such as “Imprisoned Us” and “nation”. Judging on how some of the ink was beginning to fade, he could only estimate that the book was written years ago. Ghostbur stops on the last page of the book, and the plant hybrid can’t help but mutter the strong words written there. “Life. Liberty. And the pursuit of victory.”

“I wrote this,” Ghostbur begins, turning to 5up with a distant look in his eyes. “Right before the Revolutionary war, in my van. I wanted what was best for my nation, for my friends involved in this nation, for my family in this nation, but it didn’t work out as planned. The enemy side responded with war declaration, and I can’t really remember much else from those few gruelling months apart from the... Betrayal and the time we won. Tommy sacrificed his life for us, and I’m forever grateful for that.”

5up listens as he explains the origin, and he wonders how life would have been like during war. Having lived on a relatively peaceful server where no one would even think of starting a genuine war, he could only imagine the fear and terror that Ghostbur and his friends went through to fight for their country. To the sheer relief and proudness as all of their hardships paid off when they were declared the winners and granted the independence they sought for. He wonders how Tommy must have felt, making the decision to sacrifice one of his lives for something that could not have worked out, the bravery to do so. It must have been a surreal experience.

“It’s kind of fitting that this is one of the few books to have survived,” Ghostbur mentions, glancing at his bookshelf with a strained smile. “The history of L’manburg is technically my own history, so it’s nice that it has lived.”

5up smiles gently. “You must have fought so hard.”

Ghostbur nods. “I will always fight for the things I love, and for the people I love.”

As he listens to Ghostbur, he can hear the determination and seriousness of his voice and words, and feels grateful for those who have him as a friend. Ghostbur seemed to care about those around him, at least he hoped (Fundy’s skittish reaction rests in the forefront of his mind), and would do anything to protect them. He wonders if the ghost died sacrificing himself for someone he loved.

“Oh!” his cry breaks him out of his thoughts, and 5up looks in the direction Ghostbur is staring at. Standing upon one of the hills surrounding the crater was a tall figure, seemingly staring at the damage. 5up squinted his eyes, covering them from the sun with his roots on top of his head, and attempted to identify them. It’s when he recognises the glowing purple particles surrounding the person when Ghostbur continues his sentence. “There’s Ranboo! You said you met him before, didn’t you?”

5up has to suppress his growing excitement at another friend he’s met, recalling that one time they both went mining in the middle of the night for extra resources. He had been slashing monsters for loot when the enderman hybrid approached him, and before he knew it they had dust-covered hands and chests full of metals. Not to mention the newly formed friendship as Ranboo finally accepted his seat at his and Fundy’s house without sabotaging it. He pulls himself back to the present and nods his head. “Yeah, I have.”

“Perfect, let’s go say hi,” Ghostbur excitedly says, gliding towards the boy. 5up had to speed walk with how fast Ghostbur flew, using his root to ground himself as he traversed through the crater. As he approaches their friend, Ghostbur is the first to call out to him. “Hey Ranboo, how are you doing?”

“Hm,” Ranboo glances up, having been writing something in his journal (5up wondered why everyone on this server seemed to carry around a journal), and smiles when he spots him. “Hi Ghostbur, and hi-,” Ranboo’s hesitance to name him elicits a sigh, but 5up shouldn’t blame him for not recognising him, it has been 5 years.

“5up, we used to be involved in a server together: Cogchamp.”

“5up,” Ranboo echoes, before his head snaps down and he flicks through his pages. The sheer speed he went surprises him, and he listens as the man utters incoherent words under his breath. He was about to speak up when Ghostbur coughs beside him, leaning in to whisper.

“He has short term memory, so he writes things down in his book,” 5up nods in understanding, and tries to recall if Ranboo ever had this issue back in Cogchamp. If he did, he kept it hidden for a long time, especially for how open everyone opted to be. If anyone had a problem, no one was forced to live through it on their own, it was encouraged that each member spoke to each other with their issues. 5up pushes aside his worries of the past and focuses on now, there wasn’t anything he or Ranboo could do to change the past anyway.

“I don’t have anything down about a 5up, I’m sorry,” Ranboo apologises after another minute, looking up from his book with remorseful eyes.

5up waves his hand, dismissing the concern with a soft smile. "No it’s okay, I’m only fairly recent to the DreamSMP.”

The enderman hybrid lights up at that, curiosity clear in his voice as he stares back down at the pages in his book: “Oh, did Dream invite you?” There’s also a hint of suspicion, and when Ranboo glances up a moment later with furrowed eyebrows and a thin mouth, he feels embarrassed. 

“Uhm,” he begins, looking at Ghostbur for help. The latter nods, and he indicates that as his answer should be honest and open. Despite every bone in his body yelling at him to lie so less people would be sceptical of his visit, he knew that the truth would come out eventually. “Not really, but I promise you I mean no ill intent, I just wanted to see my friends again. And see how they’ve been.”

“And I’m one of your friends?” Ranboo asks.

“Yeah, well you hung more around Fundy than me but you were my friend, I’d say we got along when we were together,” 5up mentions, reminiscing over another time the two had spent together. That day was a calm, cold and snowy Tuesday; and the two of them had got to work on planning celebrations for Tubbo’s birthday. 5up was determined to make it the best year of his little brother’s yet, grabbing as much wool out there so he could knit together some bumblebees that would be attached to the flowers he collected along the way. In the meantime, Ranboo made progress on filling out an area underneath their base and decorating it with blue concrete to symbolise the sky, while also handing out invitations. The Sunday of that week made all the effort worth it as Tubbo celebrated his day with cake surrounded by his friends, in a bright blue room with makeshift bees lounging on flowers. 

“Oh that’s… nice,” Ranboo says, pulling 5up from his memories once more. “I’m sorry that I can’t remember you, sometimes I forget to put stuff down. What was Cogchamp like?” 

5up hesitates for a second, trying to figure out what would be the best memories and words to use to help Ranboo remember. “Well there was a lot of machinery work, a lot of cogs as you can tell by the name, and a lot of mining. You had a windmill farm if that helps, and a house with a levitation device to travel from floor to floor. We also went mining one time together in the dead of night, and sometimes there would be weekly get-togethers around a campfire at Sam’s cottage,” As he rambles on about the server, he can’t help but notice Ranboo furiously scribbling down notes of his words. He smiles, subtle but noticeable, as he prays that his explanation may help his friend remember the server he came from, and where he will one day return.

“Yeah maybe, thank you 5up but I-uhm, I have to go,” Ranboo mentions as 5up finishes his mini speech, and then he turns his attention to Ghostbur. “By the way Ghostbur, Phil wants to speak to you about the plan. Now preferably.”

It would take a fool not to notice the way Ghostbur’s expression falls for a second, the smile present throughout the conversation shifting into a frown, before he quickly forces another one. He nods in despite of his true feelings. “Okay,” he turns to 5up. “I’m gonna have to leave you alone for now, I would offer you to come with but Phil and Techno are very apprehensive over visitors right now. It has nothing to do with you individually, I’m so sorry. I’m sure someone else on this server will be around for you to talk too, they’d all mostly be willing to help.”

5up nods, suppressing any form of negativity that would pool inside of him. He couldn’t be upset over them, not after everything they’ve been through. “I understand, I’ll figure something out, after all I have been alone for 5 years.”

His joke does not land well, he notices, as the two smile pitifully at him. They share a glance, one of familiarity, and then they look back at him. It’s then when 5up realises the sorrow in their gazes at having to leave him alone, and he can tell they’ve experienced something similar to him. Whether they’ve been alone for 5 years like him, or maybe for a few months, it’s clear they’ve gone through a familiar experience that they want no one else to go through. Again, he can’t help but wonder how this server made for friendships ended up with people full of abandonment issues and acting as if there was a looming threat hanging above their heads. Nothing his imagination conjured could explain such fear, but maybe his imagination hadn’t been tainted by the war and hunger that plagued the DreamSMP.

“Goodbye 5up, take care,” Ghostbur calls before he walks off with Ranboo by his side, straying towards the path he had initially travelled down to reach L'manburg. Ranboo only gives a wave as his farewell, and 5up waves back in politeness with his stem. As the two walk off, he looks around himself and realises that nobody would be living in this decimated vicinity, so the best course of action would be for him to find a new area of the server to wander. After waiting for a second, he follows in the path of Ghostbur and Ranboo, and only hopes he’ll stumble into someone as considerate as them before night falls upon him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are very appreciated, and again any questions or interactions feel free to comment and I will answer as honestly as possible :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5up finds sanctuary with a certain King, and he learns a thing or two about 'lives'.

5up had much to think about at this moment.

As he carefully walks around the DreamSMP lands (those few buildings provided relieving cover for him in case someone walks past), he thinks about how his first day had gone. From meeting Fundy in the middle of a barren landscape, to Ghostbur (his friend’s father?) and the destroyed country, and then to Ranboo and his forgetful memory. Something didn’t feel right about how they acted, 5up ponders, and he figures that it had to do with whatever experiences they had on this server.

These possible experiences only solidifies the rumours that he had heard from Crumb about the fighting and the desperation to survive at the expense of others. He couldn’t imagine how such a server could turn out to be so ruthless, but then again he had only experienced the positivity in friendships and helpfulness, never the endless betrayal and silent greed that held everyone in iron grips. 

His mind couldn’t stop thinking about his friends. Ranboo and Fundy. He couldn’t shake the defeated posture Fundy had as he walked down the path, the almost distant look in Ranboo’s eyes as he struggled to recollect anything about him. The question that stuck in his mind wasn’t if he could tell what happened to them, but rather how could he help them. Him, a lonely plant hybrid who had only known serenity, faced issues of unfamiliar conflict and pain presenting themselves in the form of his past friends. 

Not only did his thoughts linger on them, he found himself thinking about the new friend he made: Ghostbur. Someone who was once a strong leader for a country, now an amnesiac ghost who treated everyone with a hint of hesitance, and about as much of a hopeful mind that 5up had himself. For him being the only tranquil person he has met so far, he could only assume hope and peace is few and far between in this server. Way too little for how young the members were.

His thought process didn’t even include the moment of hurt that flashed on Ghostbur’s face when Ranboo mentioned some form of plan - whatever that meant. Even the most seemingly at ease people had worries itching at the surface of their skin, waiting to burst out into the open for all to see.

When he steps onto a piece of broken plywood, 5up glances up to face the Community House once more. He doesn’t know what he expects, what form of pathetic hope that conjured in him that made him believe the house would be fixed and people would be talking inside of it. The discarded, abandoned ruins only shows him the unwillingness of everyone to come together and fix things, to become a team.

It’s the sunlight glinting off the impressively large rainbow windows that captures his attention next, and when he looks over his jaw drops in awe. A large castle stands atop of a hill, surrounded by sturdy walls with flags running down the towers that expose the entrance. A pride flag stands tall on top of the castle, waving majestically in the soft breeze, while the sun covers the exterior and makes it almost surreal, some form of beacon in a desolate wasteland. 5up doesn’t notice his legs carrying himself over there until he’s standing right in front of the bridge, revealing the castle in its entirety.

If he hasn’t already been impressed, he sure as hell is now.

The carefully and beautifully constructed carving in the stone of the towers paints pictures of crosses and shields, a form of protection being found within these walls. The detailed patterns that scale up the castle capture the sunlight in little grooves, displaying a fascinating design that frames the large wooden doors of the castle. His root itches to stretch out and push open the door to see who owned the place, but he withholds himself - he can’t risk being caught by someone who wouldn’t take lightly to his intruding presence.

Turning back around to leave the impressive structure, he nearly jumps in shock when he hears someone call out to him from somewhere. “Hey you,” 5up looks around himself in fright, trying to identify the source of the mysterious voice, until finally he catches sight of what he assumes is the owner of the castle. They stand on the top landing, hands grasping the castle walls as they stare down, dark sunglasses perched on his face while a crown rests comfortably in his hair. A red cape frames his body, held up by golden clasps that latch onto his clothes.

5up panics. “I, uhm, I was just leaving sir,-.”

“No wait,” the person calls again, and he silences himself so the man can continue. “Please, give me a second to come down there.”

“Okay?” 5up responds, inwardly cursing himself for his answer sounding more like a question. He guesses there is no way out of this situation now, and he has to endure whatever conversation the owner would strike up with him now. There is every chance he could run away, and he is desperate too, but what good would that do when these people could communicate with anyone on the server. He had no clue of who is friends with who, for all 5up knows the man could be best friends with the owner and have him kicked out before he had a chance to find Tubbo.

“Hey,” the man’s pleasant greeting pulls him back, and 5up turns to him. From up close, the man seems to be dressed exactly like a King, _‘ so there’s even a monarchy? '_ 5up thinks in shock, and can’t help but question what other surprising things could be lurking in this server that could be even more jarring. He has to look up to make some form of eye contact with how tall the man is to answer him.

“Hi.”

“I’m King Eret, I don’t think I’ve met you before, who are you?” the man introduces, holding a hand out to him. 5up hesitantly reaches out and takes it, allowing the latter to initiate the shake. After the short formal greeting, 5up realises he has yet to answer the man’s question.

“5up,” he hesitates, should he mention that the reason Eret would not have seen him before is due to his recent trespassing onto the server? There is always a chance to lie, but the King could know secrets about the server and its members that would reveal his fake story in seconds, so he guesses that this is another tell the truth situation. “There’s a reason for that, I’ve come here on my own terms."

“Oh, what terms?” He fails to conceal his shock at how casual Eret’s response had been to his confession of illegally entering the server. Isn’t he the King? Why is he allowing this?

“What?” he hears himself asking before he can stop.

“Well what terms? I never expected someone to come here by their own choices, something must be drawing you here, something strong,” Eret explains, and 5up swallows down the lump in his throat to respond.

“I’m here to see my friends from another server, I’ve missed them and I wanted to see them again,” Eret doesn’t need to know of his true intentions, no one bar his friends from the server need to know.

“That’s nice, you seem like a great friend to do that. Some people on this server need their friends again,” 5up doesn’t fail to catch the way Eret’s face falls at the end of the sentence, and again he wonders what even a monarch had gone through on this server. Was there really no place or hierarchy position safe from the trauma that ravaged the land? 

“Yeah I guess,” 5up responds after a minute, watching as a shade of darkness from a passing cloud slowly consumes the land. Eret looks away for a minute, glancing in the direction of the sun, and then turns back with a smile on his face.

“Hey, it’s getting dark and the night is dangerous, do you wanna stay in my castle?” his suggestion takes 5up by a pleasant surprise.

“Wait really?”

“Yes really,” Eret says, laughing slightly at the shock upon 5up’s face. The plant hybrid tries to hide the fact that this is the first time he’s heard someone laugh - experience some form of joy, even - on this server, even though he’s met three people before him. “It’s one of the safest buildings I’ve ever made, and if you’re worried about me ever ratting you out I wouldn’t do that. I’ve been a traitor before, I know the pressure to keep secrets hidden that could ruin you.”

Traitor. The word sticks like honey in 5up’s mind, and he is reminded of the previous conversation he had with Ghostbur in the crater of L’manburg. He had mentioned something of a traitor, and how they had joyfully led him and his friends to certain doom by the enemy. A depiction of a haunting smile and flowing, red cape is what Ghostbur had told him, and when he glances back at Eret he can’t help but see the resemblance. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he just has to ask. “A traitor.. You were the traitor in L’manburg.” 

The falter in Eret’s comforting smile provides the answer, and 5up isn’t sure how to feel at this moment. On one hand, Ghostbur had described this man to be a ‘despicable traitor’ who ‘betrayed them for riches’, but on the other the very said man is standing in front of him offering sanctuary, a friendly and caring demeanour to him. “I-... Yes, I’m assuming you’ve met Wilbur.”

“Who?” 5up asks.

Eret tilts his head to the side but continues. “Wilbur, tall guy with ghostly features and a yellow sweater, well I guess he does go by the name Ghostbur now actually. Does Ghostbur ring a bell?”

Wilbur? That was Ghostbur’s previous name? He faintly remembers reading it on the cover of the ‘independance’ declaration, but he assumed that was an alias of sorts to hide his real name. “Oh yeah.”

Eret hums, glancing back at his castle that is cast in the dying rays of the sun. 5up follows his gaze and watches the ripples of the fading light while the King speaks. “I regret what I did to L’manburg, I hurt a lot of my friends in a single second and was the cause of 4 members' first canon lives lost. If I could I would go back in time and tell myself to not take the offer, but then again I wouldn’t be where I am now - the King of the SMP. Sometimes I want to throw the crown off my roof, sometimes I want to relax in the castle knowing the position is mine, but I’m just glad I could keep friendships after what I did.”

“Huh, what’s- what do you mean by first canon lives? Is that the 3 life system?” 5up asks, recalling the brief mention of that system. Crumb had said that it made the server even more dangerous, but he wasn’t given a clear description of what it really was as even she was unsure herself. Eret glances back at him and nods in dismay.

“Yeah, you know what I have friends coming over tomorrow who can explain it much better. Friends who.. Have lost a canon life before, so you can ask them tomorrow about it. Now come on, the SMP isn’t safe at night, from both mobs and people creeping around,” Eret turns around and walks up the steps to his castle, and 5up trails behind him. His mind thinks over what Eret just said, and wonders what it is like to ‘lose a canon life’, and how his friends had. Trying to suppress his curiosity at such a touchy subject, 5up thinks back to the previous conversation about Eret’s open nature to him being on the server secretly.

“So you wont rat me out?” 5up asks as they enter through the large doors, and what greets him is the beautiful interior of the castle. A throne stands to his left, the gold glinting in the filtering sun as red velvet drapes over the armrests and seat. In front of him an entrance leads to a miniature courtyard where a fountain gushes, and he spots frogs resting upon the marble ledge of the fountain. 

Eret looks back at him as he leads him towards a spiralling staircase to the next level, grasping onto the white banister to balance himself. “Promises, I’ll keep a secret with me for as long as I can, and so will my friends.” 

\-------

The sun is filtering in through the haphazardly shut curtains when 5up rises from his sleep, and the ceiling greets him with the intricate design of a fierce warrior battling a bull. He spends a minute laying there, thinking about how he’s had his first full day on the SMP and managed to find friendly and understanding people willing to help him with his sudden visit. He knows he cannot spend the entirety of the morning in bed, so he picks himself up and gets ready for the day, changing back into his clothes from yesterday (Eret had promised that he washed them). 

Once ready, he exits the room and walks down the spiral staircase at the end of the hall. Eret said he’d meet him in the morning by his throne for some sort of breakfast. Standing by the throne, as he expects, is the King himself in similar attire, he walks over and watches as he notices him. After mumbles of good mornings, they walk into the dining hall where a long table stretches from one end to the other, chairs neatly tucked in as plates and bowls sit patiently on the table to be used. Two of the bowls are full of cereal, and 5up takes a seat at one of them while Eret sits at the opposite. 

“So what’s your plan for today?” Eret asks casually in between a spoonful of breakfast, and 5up glances up at him. He hasn’t eaten anything yet, his thoughts still plagued by the buckets of information that had been exposed to him yesterday and what effect the server had on seemingly innocent people. His spoon had been swirling in the cereal for the last minute, and he feels sick when he notices how soggy it has become, but pushes it down to answer Eret.

“Not sure, you said you were meeting your friends today right?” 5up mentions, looking away from the now disgusting cereal. Eret nods as he takes another bite, and the plant hybrid decides to steal an apple out the fruit bowl to feed himself instead. 

“Yeah, Niki and Jack, have you met them before?” 5up shakes his head, and Eret hums. “They’re nice people, and I’m thankful that I continued to stay friends with them even after what I did. I don’t like to think about how lonely I would be here if I did not have them as friends.”

“I can just tag along with you and your friends then,” 5up answers, it gives him a chance to explore the SMP more and find Sam and Tubbo. Thinking of seeing them again made him itch to jump out of his seat and start now, but Eret shakes his head at the idea.

“Oh no,” he starts, placing down his spoon. “Me, Jack and Niki are going out for resources in the unexplored areas of the SMP. You won’t find anyone new there, but we need to go out today to help the others.”

5up makes no comment to Eret’s explanation, but he wonders what is so important that Eret had to go out specifically today to find something with his friends. Even after he had come in unexpectedly to his schedule. He decides not to ask, and focuses on finishing his breakfast so he can start exploring places quicker. He asks Eret about where Sam and Tubbo could possibly be, and they briefly mention that Sam would be in his base far off from the SMP but accessible through Nether transport, but provides no comment on Tubbo’s whereabouts. The latter response concerns him about his younger brother, but he tries to calm himself down and remember that not every place is like Cogchamp, where secrets between members are sparse.

When breakfast is over and the King takes the plates into the kitchen, 5up hears a nearing commotion from outside the castle. The first sound he hears is laughter, and then it’s a booming voice that seems to be exaggeratingly telling a story. He finds it slightly amusing at how carefree the first voice laughs while the other makes joke after joke about said story. Eret comes back in the middle of the conversation, and he smiles. “That’s them.”

Walking towards the front of the castle, the two disembodied voices appear with their bodies. The first one is a lady with blonde streaks in her dark hair that frame her face, wearing a beige cardigan with a cream and brown checkered shirt and skirt combo underneath. That must be Niki, 5up assumes. She has a hand slapped over her mouth as she laughs at the other, who stares at her behind blue and red tinted glasses. He wears a simple blue hoodie and jeans, and his hands gesture wildly up at the sky as he talks about how he won a battle against a bee. From his previous guess, 5up believes that he is Jack.

“How come this story always makes you laugh, Niki,” Eret says at last, breaking the two from their one sided conversation. They turn to face him, and Jack smiles as he walks forward while Niki composes herself. “This is the ninth time he’s told it.”

“Because I make any story sound funny even if they’ve heard it a thousand times,” Jack boasts, and 5up watches as his gaze turns to him and he raises an eyebrow. “Who’s this geezer?”

“5up,” he speaks before Eret can, smiling at the two. By how they had acted when walking up to the castle, he feels he can trust them like Eret does, even if he had never met them beforehand.

“He’s from a separate server, but he’s here on personal terms,” Eret adds, and Jack lets out a hum of understanding as he nods his head. Niki, who manages to calm herself down enough to speak, turns to 5up.

“Hello, welcome to the SMP. I hope your stay here has been alright so far,” Niki’s voice is sweet and caring, and he feels like a mother figure is talking to him rather than someone his age, but he pushes that aside and answers her question with a small nod.

“It’s been fine, Eret allowed me to stay at his place for the night,” he decides to move on from the conversation, remembering the lives system Eret talked about yesterday. “I really hope this isn’t intruding but Eret said you two know something about the life system? And what ‘losing a canon life’ is?” 

Instantly their faces drop from the rare happiness to solemn expressions, and 5up feels bad for even bringing up the system. He’s about to apologise when Jack interrupts him. “Yeah, it’s not a pleasant experience y’know. Waking up after being stabbed or blown up, and feeling that weird sense that you’re not alive but you are is terrifying, but it’s something that happens.”

Niki furthers Jack’s point, trying to put a smile on her face as she speaks. “I’ve personally never lost one, but I witnessed Tubbo lose a canon life and I can’t imagine how awful it was.”

5up stiffens at the mention of his younger brother losing a life, who and what would have caused that to happen to his usually friendly brother? Niki notices his reaction and continues. “He’s okay right now, but he is on his last life though, and he has to be cautious about anything he does. He could end up like Ghostbur if he dies again.”

“Or me,” Jack pipes up, and 5up has to take a minute to comprehend this. So his younger brother is now on one life, and could possibly end up like a ghost that hardly remembers anything if he dies again? He doesn’t like that thought, but he turns his attention to Jack and about his situation; if he had lost all his lives, how was he still alive right now? Jack continues with a strained smile. “I can see your confusion mate, but basically I ended up in.. well Hell, and I fought my way through it to come back with all my lives.”

When 5up thinks he has heard it all, the server continues to surprise him, and then there is Jack who surprises him like a meteor strike had happened in his thoughts. “What?” is all he can muster in response.

Jack shrugs, glancing away to hide his emotions, but 5up can hear the quiver in his voice as he speaks. “Yeah, lost in a fight with Techno and I ended up fighting shit in Hell. I got out, and I’m so thankful I did, but there's every chance I might not have. I don’t want to fight anyone ever again, especially those on 1 life, because no one should go through what I went through, so I just want peace now. Niki feels the same, she’s lost a lot throughout the years. Eret too, we don’t like conflict anymore.”

“Well that’s not specifically true,” Niki adds, her cheeks reddening in slight embarrassment. “I nearly caused more commotion if it wasn’t for Eret speaking some sense into me, especially after Doomsday. I don’t like to think about how close I was to becoming someone I hated, but I’m thankful for you both for stopping me.”

Jack and Eret provide comfort in the smiles they direct towards her, and 5up internally queries what Niki was saying when she said she nearly became someone she hated. At this rate, friendships seemed as sparse as conflict was back home for him, especially of such comfort and understanding. He wonders who the hated culprit Niki was referring too could be, and if it is one of the three misfits who destroyed L’manburg and killed Friend. The root around his leg curls in on itself in confusion.

“Anyways, 5up,” he turns towards Eret, who has a smile on his face as he holds a pickaxe in his hand, _since when did he have that?_ 5up thinks. _Did Jack and Niki bring tools?_ Looking towards the pair in question, the sack strapped to Jack’s back answers his question. “We’re heading out now, I’m assuming you’re going to look for Sam?” 5up nods in confirmation. “Alright good luck, the portal is exactly where the Community House is, and it’s the higher up icy path. Follow it straight through and you should get to Sam’s. We’ve got to head now, see you!”

5up waves goodbye to the trio, who return the farewells before they walk off in the opposite direction of the main path. Once they’ve passed a set of carefully planted blossom trees, the plant hybrid begins his journey down the path to the Community House. As thankful as he was to have met Niki, Eret and Jack, it is crucial he finds Sam and, even more, his younger brother. The lack of awareness Eret had on his whereabouts worries him, but he tries not to dwell on it and holds onto the hope that he’s with someone safe in a secluded area. 

Maybe Sam would know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I know it's been nearly two weeks since the last update, I apologise about that. I said I was gonna write in the Feb holidays and then just, didn't, but I finished the chapter. Also, in this universe Jack and Niki are not on a quest to kill Tommy! Huzzah! I don't know, I just like this little headcannon that Niki and Jack joined Eret after Doomsday and they all became friends with no interest in conflict anymore, especially with what they've been through.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5up meets Sam, and things go a lot smoother than it did the previous times he met a member of Cogchamp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know, this chapter shouldn't of taken me as long as it did to write it, but something happened and I had to take a slight break. Now, though, I feel as comfortable as ever, and I am ready to attempt to update this as frequently as possible. This is an idea I will not drop, I am persistent in writing this, and I love the ideas I have for this story.

It didn’t take long to stumble across the ice bridge Eret had mentioned before he left.

Having travelled across the main path of the SMP (of which he finally learned is called the ‘Prime Path’, according to a sign clumsily hammered into the front wall of one of the few shops present), and entering through the Nether Portal, the first thing he was greeted with was a tower of scaffolding, with broken parts of wood scattered around the netherrack beneath his feet. Approaching the tower, 5up carefully climbs up the structure until he reaches the landing, where the glistening ice path that would lead him to right to Sam’s base greets him.

Spotting a nearby parked boat, he drags it over to the entrance of the path. He remembers the previous experience he had with ice travel, a server he used to live in long before he settled into Cogchamp, a time when he only knew the basics of these strange worlds. Ice travel had been the main transportation towards other bases and the centre, so he had gotten used to travelling at fast speeds and steering the boat in the right direction so as to not crash into any surrounding walls or obstacles.

Settling inside, 5up stubs the oar into the ground to kickstart his journey, and grasps tightly onto the rim of the boat as it soars across the ice. Using the oars periodically to twist and turn his boat into the middle, he is thankful that the barriers that surrounded the path exist, or else he would’ve found himself drowning with the magma cubes. After a couple minutes of fast travelling, he spots a sharp right turn in the distance, and hurriedly slams the oar into the ground.

The screeching noise of the wood grinding into the ice deafens him, but he focuses on the nearing corner and hopes that he has spotted it fast enough to stop himself from hitting the barrier at full speed. The oar becomes lighter in his grip, and the built up momentum beforehand slows down to a casual pace, and he lets out the biggest sigh of relief as he approaches the corner carefully and follows it without crashing into the barriers. 

Hoping this is the only corner he has to deal with, 5up kickstarts the boat again and sends it soaring down the continued ice path. Feeling the heat from the lava below breezing his face felt oddly refreshing and contrastingly reminiscent of the time when he soared across tundra's with freezing cold temperatures battering his face. With his root grasping onto the boat, 5up uses both of his hands to stub the oar into the ice to gain more momentum. Who knows how much time he could have with Sam before someone else came along, or what if someone else was already present? Would Sam even be at his supposed base? He tries not to dwell on the potential negative possibilities of this trip.

After a minute of travel, 5up spots in the distance that the glistening ice seems to have abruptly stopped it’s shimmers, and he realises that this indicates he is nearing the exit of the path. Gently pushing the oar into the ground, he focuses his attention on the ending and forces the boat into a slower speed, thankful there were no deafening screeches this time around. As the boat gently slows to a halt, 5up holds back the slightly proud emotion he feels as it stops moments before the exit, only leaving a small slither of path to walk. Picking himself up from the boat, 5up tightly grips onto the barriers surrounding the path and makes his way towards the exit. 

Spotting another portal to the side, he assumes this is the entrance to Sam’s base. Bracing himself mentally, he makes his way towards it and allows his mind to linger in his thoughts. He had already encountered both Fundy and Ranboo, and they had given him near unrecognisable looks at first glance, and he had only managed to help one of them remember the days of Cogchamp. Sam could be just as distant and wary as those two, and he had to prepare himself for whatever reaction he may give to his presence.

He just hopes one of them would recognise him.

As the world appears in front of him behind the purple swirls, the first thing he spots is the plain and simple house situated in front of him. It appears barren, as if no one has decorated the interior and only bothered to create a beautiful exterior to make the place look more impressive than it is. Stepping onto the concrete below, he glances at the small arch covering the portal that ran down to create the landing he was standing on now. Sam has improved his building skills, he notes, recalling the small and simplistic cottage he had built in Cogchamp. 

Approaching the house, he nearly pushes the seemingly easy to open front doors to wander inside. He wonders when Sam had become so vulnerable in his defence of his property, usually he would have some sort of lock on the door to stop any trespassers (even if the only ones who were around to do so were his friends). 

A pull of a bow string rings in his ears, and he is suddenly made aware of the presence standing behind him. The root around his leg tightens its grip in fear, and 5up slowly raises his hands up and waits for the person to speak, praying that it is Sam.

“Who are you?” the familiar accent that enters into his ears would have him jumping for joy if he wasn’t so terrified right now, and currently being held at bow point. Taking a shaky breath to calm his nerves, he attempts to speak up to dissuade Sam from shooting him. 

“Sam please don’t-.”

“How do you know my name?” Sam interrupts, voice loud as the words slur together, and 5up can tell he is just as scared as he is in this moment. The bow behind him gently hits his back for a split second, and he stills. “Who told you?”

“Please give me a minute to speak,” 5up pleads, and he waits for a response. The shuffle of footsteps behind him as well as the distanced heavy breathing tells 5up that Sam has stepped back, and he slowly turns himself around to face him. The crossbow aiming straight for his head is the first thing he sees, but he ignores it to catch the other’s eye instead. “Sam, we met once before on a server named Cogchamp. It was a steampunk server where we could create all kinds of machinery to help us with daily tasks, and there was some competition at the same time. Our homes were in a badlands and plains biomes. You often sided with me and Tubbo in the rivalry.”

A pause. Sam slowly lowers his crossbow, much to 5up’s belated relief. “Wait, Tubbo was a part of the server? And so was I?”

“Yeah, it was quite a while ago so I don’t know how much you can remember of it. God the other two barely couldn’t recall much, but if it helps, you participated and often stayed in me and Tubbo’s base for some nights, and you helped build a wheat farm with a fully automated tractor to pick up all the wheat so as to give the server a replenishable food source.”

Another momentary pause, and 5up can hear his own heartbeat immethodically drumming in his ears. Birds tweet in the distance as the wind roars up the mountainside, filling the silence in their conversation. Sam is the first to break it, lowering his crossbow fully and carefully removing the loaded arrow. 5up lets out the breath he had been holding since the conversation started, and drops his arms down to his side. “I- I do remember this, wait I do. I lived in a house right by a small lake, and you lived in a small house right by the mountainside with the huge lift down to the mine. Wait,” Sam stops, seemingly studying 5up’s face with his narrowing eyes. 5up holds back the awkwardness he feels as he looks anywhere but at those suspicious eyes. “5up?”

When he hears his name fall from Sam’s mouth, he swears he saw the world around him brighten. He couldn’t believe it, someone had remembered him. He had finally met someone who could actually recall the server. 5up smiles as wide as he can at Sam, who shakingly offers the same smile back, and then nods his head in reassurance to the reaction. “Yeah, Sam, it’s me.”

Sam is stunned into a momentary shock, and before 5up can react he’s flung himself straight towards him and into his chest, strong arms wrapping around his back. 5up returns the hug, wrapping his arms around Sam as the other buries his head into his shoulder. He feels a sense of comfort wave over him as he realises that this is the first human contact he has had with anyone from Cogchamp in 5 years, and he tightens the hug in response. He couldn’t let go of this feeling now, not when he had missed it so much: Tubbo’s playful smacks to his arm; Fundy’s gentle hand touches; Sam’s strong hugs; Ranboo’s swinging arm around his shoulder. He just barely hears Sam mumble into the fabric of the shirt into his shoulder. “Holy shit man I thought you were gone forever.”

5up laughs, pulling back from the hug to look Sam (who had a much more friendly look than beforehand) in the eyes. “Well I’m here now, right?”

“What happened to you dude? It’s been years.”

“I was still in Cogchamp, woke up and you were all just gone. I had to figure out a way to travel around servers, not to mention I hardly know shit on how they function. It sucks because you were always good at redstone, you would’ve known how they worked but you were gone like them,” 5up explains, but then he pauses. His story isn’t all that interesting, he was just in Cogchamp, what matters here is what had actually happened to his friends that fateful day. He faces Sam. “Wait, enough about me, what happened to  _ you  _ that day?”

“I just woke up in the middle of some cobbled spawn, with no recollection of how or why I got here,” Sam explains. “I could remember fragments of Cogchamp but ultimately I did not know where I once was, so I had to just start anew. I’m thankful enough to not be on any rough terms with anyone right now, and especially thankful I’m not on rough terms with other Cogchamp members now that I can recall them.”

“Yeah,” 5up answers subconsciously, and then the words register in his head and he pauses. What did Sam mean by ‘ _now_ ’ that he had recalled them? ”Wait what do you mean now?”

“You helped me remember, saying whatever you said triggered some sort of chain reaction in my memory and it all just came flooding back to me,” Sam answers.

5up stops, remembering when he had done something similar with Fundy yesterday, He had to mention a few key memories of Fundy’s before he could even recognise him, and they were close on the server. He had just gotten through to Fundy before he ran off, but he tries not to dwell on that unfortunate circumstance now, not when he has Sam in front of him. Sam, who is beginning to remember everything that Cogchamp was. “Well I’m glad I helped. How-,” 5up hesitates, should he ask about the SMP? After everything he’s heard from Crumb and seen for himself first-hand? Maybe he should, it is only polite too after he asked for him. “How are you doing here, on the DreamSMP?”

“It’s not easy, I don’t know if you’ve heard of the prison?” 5up shakes his head, and Sam grimaces. “I figured, I was commissioned by Dream to build a huge prison for him. He won't inform me who or what it’s meant to contain, but he wants it inescapable to anyone inside. He does frequent check-ups and offers suggestions to make it even more impossible, and I’m starting to get more and more worried about what he’s planning to do with it.”

5up can resonate with Sam’s worries, what would someone want with a huge prison that is, as he describes it, inescapable? Diverting from the negative thoughts that creep in, 5up queries if it is possibly being created to contain a threat to the SMP? One that is inhumane and only Dream has encountered. “Well, maybe it’s meant for some potential threat to the server? Someone outwith the members that only Dream knows of?”

Sam scoffs. “5up: Ever the optimist,” 5up bites back his disdainful taste towards the statement made about him. He wasn’t always an optimist, as people had put it before, he just saw the better in people like they did in him. Despite committing actions that could be deemed bad, others had blissfully ignored it in hopes that he had a change of heart, and he did. It was how he would end up handling those who he met when faced with confrontation. 5up focuses back onto Sam as he continues. “This server is riddled with rivalry, look around right now and you can see so many people apprehensive of everyone around them. Techno won't ever step a foot into L’manburg, Tommy would rather stay 500 miles away from Dream than be given all the discs in the world, and don’t get me started on the beginnings of Snowchester, Tubbo’s new village. It’s obvious that Dream is building this prison to hold someone else in the server that he sees as a threat to him, and there are many likely candidates out there for him to choose. Two of them still teenagers, one barely even an adult!”

Snowchester. Tubbo’s new village. That is where his brother is. No wonder Eret was unable to provide a secure location, the village was just constructed and only so few people had heard about it. He wonders if Sam is close enough to Tubbo that the latter had told him about the village, and thus stops him from having to salvage another friendship from this server.

“Sam, where is Snowchester?” 5up asks.

Sam pauses, eyes narrowing at his question being the only thing he took from his speech. 5up stares back, pleading that Sam can remember his relationship with Tubbo. He catches on, loosening his stare and letting out an ‘Oh’ of remembrance. “Right, you’re little brother,” 5up nods. “It’s a little far away, but when you’re near that big dirt tower just off the Prime Path, head towards the north east and run till you hit water. Across the water you should spot a bridge, and you can either enter the bridge or swim beside it, your choice, but that bridge will lead you straight to Snowchester. Tubbo has been camping there for a while, I don’t know how much he’ll remember of you but you can try and talk to him.”

“How much?” 5up asks, his voice wavering.

“I mean, memory is a strange thing with servers,” Sam clarifies, unable to look 5up in the eyes as he continues. “I don’t know much, it’s not really my department, but people don’t remember much of the server they came from before unless they attempt to actively remember it or go back and forth between the servers. Sometimes memories from this server will stick more and cloud over the memories of Cogchamp, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what has happened with Tubbo, Fundy and Ranboo. All of them have gone through traumatic stuff man, from countries blowing up twice to even independence wars when they were only young and had just relearned weapon wielding. I mean, it took you helping me to even remember Cogchamp and recognise you, and I haven't gone through a lot here.”

5up sighs, no wonder Sam couldn’t stare at him straight in his explanation. His mind cannot help but linger back to his two previous encounters, where one had nearly gone so right and the other had barely even started. “Yeah, I know, I just encountered Fundy and Ranboo. Fundy remembered, he did, but I don’t know how much of it he did. He only just got to mention the rose before he had to leave, and Ranboo.. I don’t think he recognised me at all. I think he’s wary of me.”

“He’s wary of a lot of people, 5up, it’s how he protects himself from those he can’t trust.”

A silence follows the statement, and 5up allows it to stay for a while as he collects his thoughts. Sam clearly cared about the members still, and he is so thankful that he does, but it also painfully reminds him that they wouldn’t have gone through nothing in those 5 years. From what he’s briefly touched on, to what he had witnessed when walking with Ghostbur, this server had a brutal history that did not take kindly to its members. 5up sighs, catching Sam’s attention. “Do you think Tubbo will ever remember me?” It stings him to think that his brother might not even recall him when he came all the way out here just to see him again.

“I...,” Sam hesitates. “Don’t know, but you could have a chance. You’re just going to have to try and remember a lot of memories you spent with Tubbo, and tell them to him. Maybe one of them will stick and he’ll remember you, but I can’t offer much else support or reassurance. Just know he has gone through a lot of stuff that will stay at the surface more than a memory he made 6 years ago.”

“Okay, thank you Sam, it was wonderful seeing you again. I missed you, a lot, and I hope you missed me too,” 5up mentions, staring the creeper hybrid in the eyes to show his sincerity. 

Sam smiles back. “I did, 5up, I missed you a lot. I miss Cogchamp as well, that creative server with all the cogs and levers to create machines beyond my wildest dreams. I’d rather be working there than on this unnecessary prison."

Sam wants to go back, this is perfect. 5up tries not to react in excitement to the other’s remarks towards the SMP, but he cannot help but smile more. Maybe he should mention his plan to Sam, let him in on the fact that he is planning on bringing the members back. It would make him feel better, 5up thinks, and he could be willing to help him in creating another portal home when it came down to it. “Say Sam, how would you feel returning back to Cogchamp? Leaving the DreamSMP behind and coming back with all of us?”

Sam ponders for a minute, and 5up nearly regrets asking such a deep question, but then he answers. “I would miss the SMP, a lot, I have some amazing friends here who I could never thank enough for their support, but I think I would love to return back to Cogchamp. Why?”

5up smirks knowingly, glad to know that he has Sam on his side for when the time comes. “No reason, I’ll see you around.”

He doesn’t miss the realising glint in Sam’s eyes, and the little sizzle that echoes and the shiver that wracks his body as the TNT inside of him jumbles in excitement, but he does focus his attention on the growing smile. “I’ll see you around too, 5up.”

The boat ride home is nothing more than pleasing to 5up, as for once an encounter with a previous member had gone in the right direction. He can still feel the bubbles in his gut when Sam had said his name, without him even having to remind him as well, and then when he had mentioned he would love to return back to Cogchamp. Yesterday may have been a shambles trying to reconnect with others, but today it had been perfect, and now he had a location of his little brother’s whereabouts: Snowchester.

Exiting the boat and climbing down the scaffolding, he ponders whether or not he should approach Tubbo this afternoon or leave it till tomorrow. He still had some time left, and Eret and his friends said they would be away for the entire day, so maybe it would be beneficial to cut some time on the server and go see his little brother now. Returning back into the overworld again, he walks down the side of steps that leads him to a little walkway framed by bushes and planted trees in symmetrical squares, half grown into tall trees and half still saplings. Thinking about everything Sam had told him, he wonders if it would be worth it to write down every memory he can recall before visiting.

Well he does think that, until suddenly he is pushed into the nearby rose bushes and faceplants into their small twigs and leaves. He spits out a twig that caught in his mouth as he fell, and starts to speak up at the presence that is resting on top of him, keeping him against the ground, but the figure beats him to it, and whispers a near silent "Shhh" at him. Suspicious, but also aware that he is at a disadvantage in this position, he stays quiet and glances around himself. He notices that the shrubbery has covered him and the figure fully, and then he catches sight of a pendant that swings from the other’s neck. A striking purple background is etched into the interior of the pendant, with a green swirl on top of it. 

It isn’t until 5up dares to look outside the bushes does his heart sink. He sees a figure slowly walk past, a sense of leadership to him as his feet echo against the broken concrete. 5up wouldn't be so terrified of the figure had he not turned around, and revealed his face. He recognises the description of that face mask from Crumb, the complete white porcelain with a perfectly carved smile on it. It would be the leader of the SMP that he is currently staring at, and he never thought that he would have seen him so early in his visit. After a long pause, the mask man finally turns around and walks up the steps and into the portal. Once he disappears from sight, the figure above him lets out a sigh of relief, and 5up feels the pressure release from his back and legs. Turning around, 5up stares up at the man who had flung himself onto him for no apparent reason. 

He sheepishly smiles. “Sorry about that, I can see into the future and the timeline that Dream saw you in wasn’t going to end well, so I had to step in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, Kudos' and comments are much appreciated.
> 
> (also quick question for anyone who reads this, does Tommy happen to have a disc that was always in his possession? Preferably would like to know as soon as so I can plan a certain future scene between him and 5up)


End file.
